Hints of a more virulent, mutating West Nile virus emerge

November 10, 2012
by legitgov

Hints of a more virulent, mutating West Nile virus emerge 08 Nov 2012 The West Nile virus epidemic of 2012, the worst in a decade, may be notorious for yet another reason: The virus, in some cases, is attacking the brain more aggressively than in the past, raising the specter that it may have mutated into a nastier form, say two neurologists who have extensive experience dealing with the illness. One doctor, Art Leis in Jackson, Miss., has seen the virus damaging the speech, language and thinking centers of the brain -- something he has never observed before. The other, Elizabeth Angus in Detroit, has noticed brain damage in young, previously healthy patients, not just in older, sicker ones -- another change from past years.